Staying Organized

Being an event planner requires both creativity and extreme organizational skills. One way to stay organized is to keep separate binders and files for each of your clients. You can also document the process for many aspects of your business such as the steps to take when you book a new client. Here is a new client checklist to help you get started:

1) Counter-sign the contract from your client and send clients a final copy.

2) Process the initial payment from your clients.

3) Enter the initial payment and future payment dates into a spreadsheet, Quickbooks, or software you use to manage cash flow. Remember to document when future payments are due so you can invoice clients before the due date (and know when you will get paid). If you have a book keeper, you would send her the new client information at this point.

4) Create an email folder with your client’s names. Under that folder, create subfolders for each vendor category where you can keep email communications organized. Here is an example of a folder structure for each client:

Sally & Joe

Cake

Fashion & Beauty

Floral & Decor

Music & Entertainment

Photo & Video

Rentals

Transportation

Venues

5) Create a folder on you computer with the same structure as above. This will allow you to work quicker because you will always know where to find files, photos, and contracts for each client.

6) Create a physical binder with client names and event date on the cover. Ideally, we want to save trees and store information electronically but many planners still prefer to have a physical binder for each client.

7) Add clients to your planning software if applicable

8) Send a welcome gift or card to new clients.

9) Send initial documents to clients (checklists, budgets, etc)

10) Send a thank you note or a gift to the person who referred you.

Creating systems in your business will allow you to work faster which enables you to take on more clients (or have more time for yourself). What other areas of your business can create checklists and processes for to help you work more efficiently?

Comments

I have worked for wedding venues for several years and planned endless corporate for my corporate employer, however having my own business is quite different when you don’t have the resources handed right to you on a silver platter. this website is my silver platter, thanks!

I am planning my first wedding, thankfully the bride is a close friend and already has many plans so my job is just executing it. She has asked if I had electronic copies of my work. Is there a application on PC/MAC/iPAD that is used to organize via computer.

I have all of her documents in folders nicely organized as suggested above, but I wasn’t sure if there was an easier way to document it all on a computer other than Word.

I have scanned documents in, but sometimes it doesn’t catch all parts, or if I wrote stuff in or wanted to highlight, there were difficulties there.

If anyone knows of an “app” or laptop application, I would appreciate the help.

Hi Jilene! Thank you for your comment. There really isn’t a reason you need everything to be electronic if you have a physical binder of everything. It’s always good to have it electronically for a backup or if your client needs a copy. You can work with paper if that is easiest for you. Remember that you dictate how you plan weddings, not your clients.